A New Era
by Pan06
Summary: Caught in a arrest he had nothing to do with for once an immortal Naruto gets put into foster care where he sees some very familier faces back from the grave. This is going to be fun! :D
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE**

"Care to explain this?" The cop in front of him held up his roll of hundred dollar bills.

"Ahhhhh… No not so much." Naruto answered. _Christ, can't a guy get a brake. Kyuubi was never going to let him live this down. A thousand year old half demon and I can't even avoid the cops. _

"Alright you're coming with me. We'll sort this out at the station" The cop handcuffed him and shoved him in the back seat of the car.

Naruto thought about his options. 1) Give the guy the slip by using a jutsu, 2) go along with the cop and have them call Kyubi to come get him, or 3) play dumb and disappear later.

Naruto really didn't want to explain to Kyuubi why he had been arrested. He actually had been innocent! This time. And using jutsu was out because he could never tell who might be watching so that left playing dumb. _Ah well, no hardship there,_ he thought. _Stupid dumb luck that I had to be fingered for that liquor store robbery, it'll never stick, even with that cash._

* * *

At the station, his prediction played out. The surveillance camera showed that the crooks were all much taller than Naruto and none of them had blonde hair. But that still left the problem of what to do with the boy. They could find no record of him anywhere, and the only thing he had on him was the wad of bills. 

"Give him to social services," One cop offered, and since no one could think of anything else to do with the irritating blonde that's what they did. _I might just stick around a while. Eternity needs a little spice every now and then. I've been pretty bored lately and it's not like I'm expected anywhere. I'll call Kyuubi later._ Naruto gave them his trademark fox grin and laughed. _This might even be fun._

_

* * *

Then again, he thought as he looked at his new accommodations, __I've been wrong before._ he thought as he looked at his new accommodations, 

The foster home his case worker has pulled up to was a small three bedroom box that looked vaguely like a house, surrounded by a hundred other boxes that looked exactly the same.

"You're kidding right?" He asked the impatient woman in a cheap suit, who was walking up to the door.

"Be grateful, Kid. Most kids don't get foster homes this quick."

"Naruto." He said.

"What?"

"My name is Naruto." She shot him a look of disgust and impatience. Naruto grinned. He hadn't seen that look in a really long time. He sighed in happy nostalgia. _Well. Lets go meet the new roomies._

* * *

Turns out it was a school day and the house's other occupants wouldn't be home for a while. The supervisor was a fat balding guy who had a burned out cigarette hanging from his pudgy lips, who was introduced as Joe. Naruto thought all this was incredibly amusing. After all the paper work was signed, and the case worker left, the fat man turned to give Naruto a once over. 

"What's so amusing, toe-rag. Think its funny being a useless waste to society? Think it's a joke to waste other people time?" Naruto couldn't help it, he burst out laughing. The older man turned an odd shape of purple and started to take a swing at Naruto's head. Not finding this at all amusing, Naruto grabbed the fist aimed at him and started to squeeze. Before he got very far, though he heard two people come in the front door. Letting go, Naruto smiled pleasantly at Joe "These must be my new room-mates."

* * *

Gaara walked beside his brother Kankuro, lost in thought. _I hate school. I hate the home. I should kill them all._ It had been typical day. The student body was just that, a body with no mind attached. Idiotic teenagers obsessing over idiotic lives. As if it mattered. Gaara didn't care, he didn't care about anything. So he didn't understand his peers' strange actions. Maybe if he cared… 

But he didn't. Ever since their parents had died, he, his brother and their sister had been in care. Their sister had been adopted a while ago but no one wanted the strange red haired boy with the symbol on his forehead. No one, not even Gaara himself knew what the symbol meant, only that his uncle had put it there before he had dumped them into the system.

Walking into the kitchen Gaara was jolted out of his thoughts by the sight of a boy about his age smirking up at Joe, and Joe looked almost… afraid? No imposable. The new boy was a little shorter than Gaara with short gravity defying blonde hair that stuck up in spikes. He was well built with compact muscles showing clearly under the rumpled tank top and baggy pants. He had odd whisker-like markings and when the boy turned to look at the newcomers he saw that his eyes were a surprising shade of clear blue. Eyes that were currently widening in what looked like shock.

_

* * *

GAAARA?! WHAT?! HERE?! HOW?! Naruto could do nothing but stare at his old friend in shock. He looked exactly the same as when he had first met him before the chuunin exams almost a thousand years ago, minus the big gourd across his back. __Say something you idiot,_ Naruto thought furiously but was struck dumb at seeing the dead walk. Fortunately he was saved by Mighty Joe, who snarled an introduction and took himself out of the house. "So," Naruto said weakly. "We're going to be room-mates." Naruto could do nothing but stare at his old friend in shock. He looked exactly the same as when he had first met him before the chuunin exams almost a thousand years ago, minus the big gourd across his back. Naruto thought furiously but was struck dumb at seeing the dead walk. Fortunately he was saved by Mighty Joe, who snarled an introduction and took himself out of the house. "So," Naruto said weakly. "We're going to be room-mates."

* * *

The new kid was looking very uncomfortable. Gaara couldn't figure out why but decided that he must be just like everyone else in thinking Gaara was a freak. Turning to leave the room he said, "Come on, I'll show you, your new room." The room where the three boys would sleep had two beds and a mattress on the floor. The new kid, Naruto his name was, was looking at the room with a blank expression. Slowly it turned to amusement and he cracked up laughing. Taking by surprise Gaara and Kankuro, who was stretched out on one of the beds could only look in confusion at the blonde who was still now trying to hold in snorts while shacking his head. _Great,_ thought Gaara, _We have a lunatic for a room-mate._

* * *

Naruto knew he was getting looks but he couldn't help it. Two nights ago he was sleeping on cotton sheets, in a penthouse, with a demon for a room-mate and room service at his beck and call. Now he was sleeping on a tiny mat in a small room that looked like it might fall down around them at night, with two other boys, both of whom had been psychos in their past lives, and he wouldn't trust anything Mighty Joe prepared, if he could prepare anything. It certainly was a change. He noticed the two brothers exchanging looks. This made him grin. This really would be fun. 

"So what does a guy gotta do to get fed around here?" Gaara glared at him and ignored the question. Kankuro answered, "Get a job, earn some money, buy food and prepare it." Naruto looked at the boy in surprise. "Joe doesn't believe in food, he lives off beer and cigarettes."

"Well, screw that. Come on guys lets go find something to eat. My treat." He pulled his cash out and left the room. About to leave the house, he turned and waited. Using his demonically enhanced hearing he heard Kankuro ask Gaara whether they would follow. After a moment Gaara answered, "If that idiot wants to throw cash around he can throw some our way. I'm not going hungry again." Naruto grinned happily. _This is great. I wonder who else is around.

* * *

**Auther Note:**_

I started this fic ages and ages ago. I have a few chapters, but unless I get some good ideas for where it'll go, it will probably be updated very varely. Whenever I get bored I pill out this fic but it'd very slow. So please review.


	2. Chapter 2

He got his answer the next day at school. Joe had woken them at an ungodly hour, but that was alright because he was ungodly himself. Kicked out with hours to go till school started Naruto asked his new old friends what they usually did with their time.

"Wait," was Gaara's answer.

"What? No fun?"

"Fun?" Gaara sneered.

"Yeah, you know it's what you do when you're not being a stick in the mud. You have heard of it right?"

"I do not do _fun_."

Naruto shook his head. He didn't know why he was surprised. Gaara had never been the _fun_ type but still, this was a new millennia. "Well, I'm sure we can come up with something between us." Spying a payphone, he remembered that he had forgotten to call Kyuubi. "You guys go on. I've got a call to make."

_Annoying hyperactive loudmouth, _Gaara thought. He didn't know why but he liked the incessantly happy blonde. Last night he had not been able to stop talking and had seemed to find their company incredibly amusing, bursting out with laughter at the littlest thing. Gaara let out a little smile. _At least today will be different._

* * *

Ever since boy and demon had slit into two bodies they had been great friends. Kyuubi had learnt a lot about humans in his years with Naruto. The demon thought Naruto getting caught by the cops was hilariously funny, even more so when Naruto told him he had had nothing to do with the crime. He had been surprised about Gaara and Kankuro but said that if they had been reincarnated then there was good odds that every one else had been as well. Groups tented to stick together.

Kyuubi wasn't going to leave his penthouse to live in a dump but he had given Naruto express orders to keep him informed. He had missed the others too.

Or at least the entertainment they provided.

Hanging up Naruto jogged to catch up with Gaara and Kankuro. As he entered the school he nearly ran into someone coming out of one of the rooms. Skidding to a hold, arms wind milling to stay upright he looked into a face that invoked feelings of love, terror and vast amusement.

"Oi you little brat, watch where you're going." Tsunade's face showed a humour that took the sting out of her remark.

"Hey old hag, you're the one that nearly ran me over," Naruto yelled, unable to keep the grin off his face.

"Watch who you're calling old hag, punk."

"I am, that's the problem." Tsunade laughed.

"You're new aren't you?" She smirked.

"How could ya tell?"

"Because you don't seem to realise that you talking to the principal." This gave Naruto pause, before bursting out laughing.

"What's so funny?" The former Hokage asked, curiously. Naruto could only shake his head. _This was going to be a great day._

* * *

Sasuke didn't hate school. He hated the annoying fan girls trying to get his attention, and he hated the people who thought that just because he ignored what they said he must think he was better than them. He just didn't like to be bothered with their trivialities. But he didn't hate school. The classes were semi-interesting and the teacher's weren't complete idiots. He and Neji spent their days avoiding rabid fan girls and practising martial arts. Today he walk to the school early to spend some time in the gym before class. Walking toward his locker he say principal Tsunade dragging a laughing blonde down the hall toward her office. The blonde did not seem familiar.

Turning down the hall he spotted Gaara and his brother Kankuro coming toward him. Kankuro walked up to Sasuke and asked him, "Have you seen an hyperactive blonde anywhere around here?" Surprised at being addressed, these two usually keep to themselves, he turned to his locker.

"If he is the blonde I just saw, he has a date with the principal."

The brothers gave each other a look before Gaara said, "Forget the little git." And walked off.

* * *

Enrolling in school wasn't that hard, choosing which class to take proving the most challenging part. His lack of identification caused a few raised eyebrows but it was shrugged off. Armed with his new schedule and some stationary, he left the office just in time for the first period. After stopping to ask directions, he got to class only a little late. His first class was English. Walking in, it was like a blast from the past. He knew he could expect to see some familiar faces but this was more than he ever dreamed. Sakura, Lee, Hinata, Ino and Chouji all looked up at him from their desks. Naruto's grin threatened to split his face.

Throughout the next few hours he spotted more and more faces from the past. Iruka was their History teacher and Jiraiya was the Sex-Ed. Teacher, (that put Naruto into a fit of coughs trying not to laugh. He was sure the other kid's thought he was weird,) and the other genin were wandering around as students. But he had yet to see one particular face he was looking forward to.

Sitting with Gaara and Kankuro at lunch he regaled the brothers with what a great day he had had, although they could not understand what had been so great about it. Watching and listening to the conversations being held by all the strange and familiar people around him he picked up on a burst of excitement in one corner of the cafeteria. Looking over to see what caused it he spotted the most familiar face yet. Surrounded by simpering girls vying for his attention, Sakura among them, was Sasuke, looking bored as usual. _Some things just never change._ Naruto couldn't help but laugh. As if he had heard the sound Sasuke turned and caught Naruto's eye. He grinned at the other boy before winking and turning back to Gaara.

Who was the new kid? It was the same blonde he had seen earlier that morning. He was sure they had never met so why did he feel as though they had? Why was that grin so familiar? Turning to Neji he asked, "Have you met the new kid yet?"

Neji looked irritated, "Yeah, we have a few classes together. He seems to be a real nut. Always laughing and goofing off."

"He's not so bad. He's kinda cute," One fan girl piped up.

"Who's that?" asked another.

"The new kid, Naruto" _Naruto. _Not a name he recognised and yet still so familiar. Leaving the table, amid cries of disappointment he walked over to the table where Gaara and Naruto were sitting. Gaara looked annoyed at the interruption and Naruto looked amused.

"You're new," he said.

"You're right," Naruto replied, his grin growing wider, "have a seat," he waved toward a chair. Sasuke blinked. _Who did this kid think he was?_ He stayed standing. Naruto looked back at him with an amused expression on his face. Not knowing what to say, Sasuke turned and left the cafeteria.

The blonde's face was on his mind next period which was gym. Kakashi-sensei was teaching the class self defence. This was a waste of time for Sasuke who was a black-belt in Karate, but at least he could get some extra practise. Changing into his gear he waited in the gym. He was about half way through his warm up when the other student began to arrive.

* * *

When he arrived in the gym after lunch, he was still in deep thought about all the old faces he had seen. Everyone seemed the same, and yet there were differences. Sakura was still after Sasuke but she had other goals as well, Hinata was still shy but seemed to have a bit more confidence, Gaara was Gaara but he didn't have his demon. Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru, Ino, Neji and Chouji hadn't changed at all. As for Sasuke, well he had never understood what went on in that rooster head. In the gym the class was milling around, circling someone blocked from Naruto's view.

Wandering over he saw Sasuke, seemingly oblivious to the crowd, practicing kata. Naruto studied his movement's with trepidation. It was clear from his movements that he knew what he was doing. It was also clear that he had a reason for what he was doing. Sasuke was still obsessed. Could not even reincarnation get that infernal stick out of his arse?!


End file.
